Mountain bike (MTB) can mean almost any kind of off-road bicycle. Wide knobby tires, flat handlebars, maybe shocks, probably a sturdy frame...
26
votes
11answers
4k views
What type of tires can prevent goatheads?
We have a lot of goatheads1 in our area, and they have a tendency to do something like this to bike tires:
Unfortunately, I ride a road bike (specifically a Kona Dew), so I have much smaller, ...
16
votes
7answers
6k views
What pressure should I run my Mountain Bike tires at?
Should I run my mountain bike at the suggested PSI/Bar on the tire/rim? Or should I run it a bit lower? Or is it more about conditions? Should I run lower if I am running on softer terrain?
7
votes
6answers
2k views
Kickstands and mountain bikes
Why is it that many people often recommend against using kickstands on mountain bikes? Does it have something to do with offroad riding (perhaps something could get caught there?), or are kickstands a ...
14
votes
7answers
6k views
How to get the tyre back on to the rim easily?
What is the best/easiest way to get the tyre back on to a rim after removing it to fix a puncture for example?
Some tyres can be really hard to get back on to the rim. I don't like using the tyre ...
26
votes
11answers
12k views
Can I use a presta tube in a schrader rim?
I keep losing pressure in my tires, and among other things, I'm looking at the valves in the tubes. It's an old mountain bike with 26 inch tires. Can I use presta tubes on rims drilled for schrader ...
8
votes
2answers
4k views
Hydraulic Disc Brakes Maintenance
I have Hayes Nine hydraulic disc brakes on my mountain bike. I have recently replaced the brake pads and after that it seems that the pads are almost touching the rotor.
How can I adjust it?
I have ...
11
votes
3answers
2k views
How bad is road salt for my bike?
I took my mountain bike out yesterday in the snow. Did some hills around town, riding through slush and puddles, and all sort of dirt/mush/ice/snow.
I gave the bike a pretty good wipe-down after the ...
12
votes
12answers
26k views
Converting a MTB to a Road Bike
I just bought a new MTB and am planning to change my previous MTB into a Road Bike.
How do I do it? What kind of parts do I need to change or add or remove?
I am not looking to for a full ...
5
votes
4answers
278 views
How to care for a steel frame?
I'm considering getting a steel frame to upgrade from my aluminum xc bike. As it will be my first steel frame I'd like to understand if there is more after ride care required than my current bike. ...
20
votes
7answers
17k views
Which way do I orient my bike tire's tread direction? and why?
I have a mountain bike tire that has stamped on the side something like:
<----------front rear------------->
Which seems like a pretty clear indication that the tire should be oriented in one ...
10
votes
3answers
2k views
I often get a sore neck when riding. How can I adjust the setup of my bike to help prevent this happening?
Quite often if I'm riding for longer than about an hour I get a sore neck. I assume that I can make some adjustment to my mountain bike to help prevent or reduce the soreness, but I don't know what. ...
13
votes
3answers
845 views
Is there something particularly wrong with exclusively riding a mountain bike in a city setting?
I live in Davis, and I ride bikes simply for commuting around the university and around town. My last bike is a hand-me-down from my sister's friend over 6 years ago; it's pretty much on it's last ...
11
votes
5answers
17k views
How do I separate brake pads after accidentally pulling the front brake while the wheel is off?
The title says it all really. I've taken the front wheel off my mountain bike to get it in my car. When I get it out and try and put the front wheel back on the space between the brake pads isn't wide ...
10
votes
1answer
1k views
What features of a mountain bike's geometry gives it different characteristics?
When you see descriptions of mountain bikes they are usually described as XC, trail, enduro etc. and have different geometries based on what sort of category they fall into. What are the defining ...
3
votes
2answers
445 views
Are there LED based dynamo powered lights suitable for night time MTB riding on singletrack?
Are there LED based dynamo powered lights suitable for night time MTB riding on singletrack?
Likely they would need to have:
High Brightness, likely 500 lumens or better. Not sure how that translates ...
14
votes
7answers
11k views
Front suspension or full suspension mountain bike
I'm considering buying a mountain bike and have narrowed it down to two models (make and model aren't important for this question). One model is a full suspension bike (front and back), the other is ...
14
votes
5answers
2k views
What type of brakes are best for mountain bike racing?
Disc brakes are more expensive than v-brakes, but in a heavy rain they will break down. V-Brakes are becoming harder to find, but they're much easier to maintain and don't break down as easily.
What ...
11
votes
6answers
1k views
Mountain Bike on Paved Roads
I'm an occasional biker. I bought a mountain bike (nothing fancy) with the idea that I might use it off-road or on mountain trails (of which there are many here in Calgary). However, since I've bought ...
9
votes
4answers
876 views
Cycling on snow in extreme freezing conditions: will my bike break?
I plan on riding my Merida Matts 40-D in mountains like these:
The temperatures are usually around -20 °C and I was wondering whether anything can break on my bike due to the freezing conditions. ...
9
votes
6answers
3k views
Bailing out with SPD pedals on a mountain bike
I got a new mountain bike a year ago, with SPD pedals. I'm OK with these on a road bike (that I don't normally crash), but on a mountain bike when I crash I usually can't jump off the bike like I used ...
7
votes
2answers
490 views
What does WSD mean relating to mountain bikes?
I keep finding a WSD version of bikes I'm interested in buying. What does WSD mean?
7
votes
3answers
7k views
Disc brakes squeak on Trek mountain bike
I have a Trek 3900 mountain bike with disc brakes, and I just took it out of winter storage to start riding it for the season.
Everything works well, except for one very annoying problem: when I stop ...
7
votes
3answers
6k views
Replacing suspension with a solid fork
I have an older version of this bike:
They have made some changes to the components since I bought my bike but it is more or less the same. Here are the specs on the newer bike.
I was hoping to ...
5
votes
6answers
6k views
Choosing good slick tires for a MTB
I have an MTB with tires that roll very badly on pavement because of plastic spikes. I'm looking to get a pair of slicks and I'm hoping to get some advice here. My bike is a 29", I think they current ...
4
votes
7answers
4k views
Riding a Mountain Bike in the city
I just moved from where there wasn't much of a biking system infrastructure. There were lots of trails though, so I bought an OK mountain bike ($350).
Now, I've moved to downtown Seattle and ...
4
votes
4answers
972 views
Eliminating chainslap on a 90's Stumpjumper
I have a mountain bike - a Stumpjumper hardtail frame with a Shimano drivetrain - where I'm getting a good amount of chainslap. Before I start fiddling with stuff, I'd like to understand the problem ...
4
votes
2answers
2k views
Is a 16 grams CO2 cartridge enough to inflate a 29" mountainbike
I used to ride a 26" mtb, but now I'm switching to a 29er. Since the volume of the tire increases, I was wondering is one 16 gram CO2 cartridge enough to inflate the tire?
Notes: The tire will be ...
4
votes
3answers
8k views
What are the advantages and disadvantages of riding a smaller Mountain Bike frame?
I am 182cm (5' 11'') tall and am looking into buying a new frame for my mountain bike.
Right now i have a 19'' frame and i found a good deal on a 17'' frame.
The guy from the shop told me that it ...
4
votes
4answers
185 views
3
votes
2answers
284 views
Do I need to take my weight off the bike to lock out the suspension?
I've recently bought myself a new mountain bike (my first since my schooldays...) and it has front suspension with a lock-out function. Suspension is new to me and I'm not sure how to use the ...
3
votes
1answer
293 views
Is it possible to replace a 1 1/8 steering tube with a 1"?
I have a 94 Giant ATX. Threaded 1 inch steeering tube.
I need a shorter stem, and would also like to install a suspension fork.
Is it doable? Could I take a modern suspension fork, heat the crown, ...
3
votes
4answers
2k views
Can you run a standard tyre on a tubeless rim?
I have some new tubeless MTB rims and I'd like to avoid buying new tyres for them. The tyres are reasonably sturdy (Continental Race King Protection - 4 plies / total 240tpi) and I have sealant. As I ...
3
votes
2answers
524 views
How do I know if mudguards will fit my 2009 Carrera Kraken?
With the nice (and muddy!) weather coming up, I'd like to get some mudguards, but I'm really unsure of what will fit my bike
I have a 2009 Carrera Kraken, no modifications.
I will probably buy them ...
0
votes
3answers
989 views
How do you wrap a bicycle frame with used inner tubes?
What is the best way to wrap a frame with bicycle inner tubes?
The bike is an aluminium framed MTB with suspension (rather than a roadie-courier bike that usually gets subjected to such treatment).
...
